This invention relates to apparatus for preventing a cow, and especially a milk cow, from kicking an attending person. It is known to provide a variety of cleansing treatments and medical treatments to the udder of a milk cow. It is relatively common for the cow to object to such treatments, particularly when there is any sensitivity to the udder being touched in course of the treatment. Such sensitivity may be encountered with a young animal which has not yet grown accustomed to such touching. Sensitivity may also be encountered in an animal which has an illness, or some physical damage to the udder. In some cases the udder is physically sensitive to touch, particularly where the skin has been damaged, or when the skin or the udder is diseased. In any event, it is common practice that the udder is subjected to certain physical contacts and treatments in the normal handling of the milk cow.
In those cases where the cow is not receptive to touching of the udder, the common action of the cow is to kick. Typically, the kick is upwardly toward the udder, and comprises such as a pushing or shoving motion to prevent the touching of the udder.
The animals caretaker prefers to not be kicked. The cow is much stronger than the person. The hoof is quite hard. And thus the kicking of the cow can impose injury, or at the least an inconvenience and nuisance, to the person caring for the cow.
It is known to hold a cow's tail in order to prevent a cow from switching the tail at the caretaker. A variety of references teach various equipments for attachment to the tail and for then restraining the tail by means of attachment to some other part of the cow, to the caretaker, or to some apparatus in the vicinity of the cow. It is known, for example, to tie a rope to the tail, and to then tie the rope to some joining apparatus such as a piece of the stanchion. It is also known to attach the free end of the rope to the front end of the cow. It is further known to attach the free end of the rope to some overhead device in a barn, such as a pipe or a timber.
It is known to attach to a cow an anti-kick device which pushes in on the cows groin, below the hips. Such a device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,012,165 which applies pressure on the groin and secures the tail, but does not hold the tail up. Thus the control of kicking is by means of the pressure on the groin. U.S. Pat. No. 1,100,194 mounts on the leg of the cow and physically prevents the movement of the legs. U.S. Pat. No. 1,270,814 similarly hobbles the cow. U.S. Pat. No. 3,736,906 holds the tail up to prevent kicking, and anchors it to a neck collar of the stauchion. Similarly U.S. Pat. No. 2,740,380 lifts the tail with a tail embracing member and anchors the rope at the cow's neck.
While the above art addresses the problem of discouraging a cow from kicking, it suffers from a variety of shortcomings. Devices which rely on groin pressure are deficient in that they are not effective to prevent the cow from kicking. Those devices which hobbles the cow prevent the cow from kicking to the extent they stay in place, but the cow can fall down and become severely injured, as well injuring the caretaker. Those devices which anchor the tail of the cow to some immovable object risk danger to the cow should the cow fall down, whereby the tail might sustain injury as it is restrained by the immovable anchor. There is also the deficiency in some of the above equipment in that they are cumbersome to handle and difficult to install.
It is an object of this invention to provide an anti-kick device which effectively discourages a cow from kicking without posing any risk of injury to the cow or to the caretaker.
It is an object of the invention to provide such a device which is easily transportable and is quickly attachable and functionally emplaceable on the cow.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an anti-kick device which is economical to manufacture and durable in use.